Experienced pain after food was lodged in back teeth for days. Could it be infected?

Never had my wisdom teeth removed. In the very back of my top teeth I have space where food always gets stuck. Only thing that usually gets it out is a qtip. A week ago, I got something was stuck. I brushed my teeth normally for a week and started to feel pain in the inner jaw. I did my q tip routine and unwedged something. It's been a day and the pain is still in the fleshy part around my mouth though my teeth don't hurt. I wonder if this pain will just subside or could it be infected?